Jackson Hole , China -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Looking for a weekend escape from the city , Annie Liu and her husband fell in love at first sight with a log home in Jackson Hole and bought it for less than $ 300,000 .

Five years on , a weekly 90-minute drive from their downtown apartment to the house has long been the norm . They enjoy gardening , barbecuing or simply relaxing in their getaway surrounded by mountains -- but often shrouded in Beijing 's infamous smog .

Yes , the couple 's three-bedroom weekend home lies on the outskirts of the Chinese capital -- thousands of miles away from the original Jackson Hole valley in the U.S. state of Wyoming , which is known for its breathtaking natural beauty .

The Chinese Jackson Hole is more crowded , containing some 1,000 single-family houses inspired by rustic lodges in the American frontier . Still , wealthy locals are lured to this sprawling development by the promise of living in the `` Wild West . ''

After driving past security guards in cowboy outfits patrolling `` Route 66 '' on golf carts , Liu 's husband Lu Jun pulled over their SUV at the end of a cul-de-sac one recent Sunday .

Opening the door to a world of Americana , Liu and Lu -- both lawyers in Beijing -- proudly displayed their fondness for the United States by adding personal touches to the built-in furniture and decoration that evoke the Old West . She studied and worked in Indianapolis for two years from 2003 to 2005 , during which time he visited .

Adorning the earthy-toned walls are colorful license plates from the U.S. states -- including Wyoming -- they have traveled to and a large framed copy of the American Declaration of Independence .

`` We want more freedom , '' said Liu , 40 , pointing to the framed copy she bought in Florida . `` This is a milestone -- -LRB- we hang it here -RRB- partially for the history , partially for our profession . ''

`` Many people have been to the United States and enjoy the environment there , '' Lu , 55 , added . `` Those who have n't think this place is authentic America and they like it . ''

That 's proven to be a great selling point for developer Liu Xiangyang since he -- with the help of an American designer -- launched the Jackson Hole project a decade ago . He has sold almost all the houses , and seen the property value double over the years with the bigger homes now fetching $ 1 million each . Official data shows that a typical urban resident in China earned less than $ 4,000 in 2012 .

Annie Liu -- who is not related to the developer -- and her husband feel pleased about their purchase as early believers , and bought a second , bigger house here last year . They say other homeowners share their appreciation for the American culture and values that are reflected in the architecture and setting , despite frequent news reports on rising tensions between the two nations .

`` We like the States and we like the lifestyle , '' Liu said . `` Let the governments worry about the things that should be worried about by them . ''

Her sentiment echoes the most recent results of an annual survey on Chinese people 's attitude towards the United States by the Pew Research Center , a Washington-based think tank .

Although the Pew study finds Chinese public perceptions of the United States becoming less favorable in 2012 , it notes : `` There is one constant : richer , younger , more educated , and urban Chinese all express a more positive view of -LRB- the soft power -RRB- aspects of America 's image . And this also holds true for overall ratings of the U.S. ''

Developer Liu is a fan of the United States as well , overseeing construction for the next phase on his 70-square-kilometer lot -- the size of 13,000 American football fields . His plans include 2,000 townhouses mimicking the feel of Mendocino , a scenic coastal town in northern California , and a winery that he says will rival Napa Valley in ten years .

In between sipping wine and chatting with residents at a lunch gathering on site , the 51-year-old businessman from the central Henan province reflects on his corporate mission .

`` For those who can afford to buy houses here , they have enough money , '' he explained . `` They want spiritual fulfillment . ''

For that , the developer has built a brand new church in the center of his town -- next to a row of small shops , bars and cafes -- serving residents like Annie Liu , who embraced Christianity as a graduate student in the United States .

`` This is an ` American ' community so it 's a necessary element here , '' said Liu as she walked out of the soon-to-open Jackson Hole church .

Although she misses the natural beauty and cultural diversity of the United States , Liu says she never hesitated about returning to the motherland because of her and her husband 's career aspirations and their roots .

Now comfortably settled at work and home back in China , where the Communist leadership is proclaiming national revival as the ultimate Chinese Dream , Liu feels she has n't completely abandoned the American Dream -- as she and her fellow residents in this fictional U.S. town pursue their freedom and happiness every weekend .

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A Chinese developer has built an American-themed town 90 minutes from Beijing

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The settlement is named after Jackson Hole , a scenic valley in Wyoming

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He has sold almost all the houses , with the bigger homes now fetching $ 1M each

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Richer , educated , urban Chinese express more positive view of aspects of America 's image